Title: Stray
Author: Elissa Sussman
Series: Four Sisters
Rating: ★★★★

I was intrigued when I read the description for this book. A new fairy tale? As someone who grew up on fairy tales, I knew I had to read this book.

Aislynn is a princess. She’s not exactly a popular princess, and she struggles with the magical power she’s being trained to control. All her lessons have reinforced the idea that magic is bad, and that to use magic is to stray from the Path. When her magic overwhelms her at the Introduction Ball, where she’s supposed to be introduced to her future husband, she is redirected and becomes a fairy godmother instead.

Fairy godmothers aren’t supposed to feel anything. They are trained to use their magic for specific purposes and to help their master’s control their own magic. But Aislynn is different and she soon stumbles into a secret others at the school are determined to keep quiet.

I wasn’t sure I’d like Aislynn’s character. When she was a princess, I felt very meh about her character. Once she was made a fairy godmother, she started to really question things and I started to like her more. She saw that the way of the world was flawed. She saw that everything she was told wasn’t always correct. She questions the rules and The Path and that made her much more likable, in my opinion.

There’s a hint of romance in this book, but it’s not overwhelming. It was just enough to have little sweet moments and happiness. Each time something happened, I smiled.

The world Sussman built is wonderful. I can easily picture everything in my mind. More than that though, she created a world that made me cheer for Aislynn, even when I wasn’t her biggest fan. The fact that she made everyone, in the beginning of the novel, seems on focused on The Path and how wonderful it is. Not one questioned it. It was the way of the world and didn’t deserve to be examined. Or that’s how it appeared on the surface. Once Aislynn becomes a fairy godmother, she realizes the system should be questioned, and she starts asking.

I’m interested in seeing how this becomes a series. I can see both companion and sequel novels working. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for Sussman, and this is a book anyone who loves fairy tales with a twist will enjoy.

If you’d like to read Stray, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Audible
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

Thank you to Edelweiss and Greenwillow Books for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.